


You're Important

by ActivelyWeird



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Angst, Based on a Tumblr Post, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, FFXV Minibang 2019, Gen, Hurt Noctis Lucis Caelum, Post-High School, References to Depression, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-22 13:10:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22216588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ActivelyWeird/pseuds/ActivelyWeird
Summary: Sometimes, Noctis needs that reassurance.
Relationships: Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26
Collections: FFXV Minibang 2019





	You're Important

**Author's Note:**

> My fic for the FFXV Minibang.  
> Please read [this](https://imgur.com/9Co1Fc5) tumblr post, otherwise the story won't make any sense!

Noctis sighed. He still couldn’t figure out why he agreed to go on this trip with Prompto. Maybe it was to get him off his back, or maybe Prompto was actually right and he was becoming a shut-in. Whatever the reason, he still regretted saying yes to visit the new bookstore with Prompto. 

They planned to head out at 10 that morning, so Noctis had tried to pass for responsible and set an alarm for 8. The keyword being _tried_. By the time he had rolled out of bed, it was 9:45 and he had to rush to get ready. He hoped that Prompto wouldn't notice his rumpled clothes or uncombed hair, but it was no good, if Prompto's disapproving look was anything to go by. Had Noctis lingered on Prompto's eyes for another few seconds, he would've noticed the underlying concern in his eyes. 

"So we heading out now, or do you want to spend another hour judging my outfit?" Noctis asked, hoping to expedite the process. The faster he got this bookstore trip over, the faster Prompto would yield and they could play in the arcade for a few hours. 

This wasn't the first outing that Noctis had participated in for Prompto, but it did seem to be one of the last. At first, Noctis didn't say anything about the increased number of trips Prompto had wanted to go on after school had ended. It made sense to hang out more frequently if they weren't going to be seeing each other in school every day for two months. However, Noctis noticed pretty quickly how Prompto kept asking if he enjoyed the trips, and if he would want them to do a certain one again. It there was even the slightest hint that his answer would be negative, the next outing would be as different from the previous as possible. Noctis was sure Prompto had some purpose to all these outings, but despite having gone to over 30 different places, he still couldn't place his finger on it. 

"Yeah dude, let's go. We can hit the bookstore for an hour or two," _\--or 20 minutes, if Noctis was lucky--_ "and then we can get some lunch and hit the arcade afterwards, okay?" Prompto ended the sentence as if Noctis could say no, and then they would just stay in Noctis' apartment and play Assassin's Creed for hours, but he knew that he really didn't have any choice. 

"Yeah, sounds good. The bookstore is by the Japanese place, isn't it? We can grab some sushi for lunch." 

"Yes! Alright, sounds like a plan. Let's go!" And Prompto's excitement was so contagious that it almost made Noctis actually interested in going. _Almost._

He yanked a jacket off the rack by the door, shoving it on as he hurried to follow Prompto out the door. It was cold weather like this, the type that made his hands numb and his knee ache, that made him wish his dad got him a car. Or that Gladio was actually willing to drive him places. But, as he had no such luxury, he had to follow Prompto over several winding roads, arms wrapped around himself to keep him warm. He regretted not wearing a hat, jealous of Prompto's gray beanie. 

Despite his dread, he couldn't help but to feel a sense of relief as he spotted the bookstore. He could almost feel the warmth, and he sped up ever so slightly. The moment he stepped in the bookstore, he let out a last cold breath, then stopped to take in his surroundings. 

The bookstore was small--smaller than Noctis had expected, anyway. From Prompto's description of it, he had been expecting… well, he wasn't sure what, but it was definitely nothing this... Homey. 

The smell of coffee and paper filled the air, but it wasn't unpleasant: it felt almost comforting, in a way. It made Noctis want to take a deep breath, as if he could keep the pleasant air inside him forever. The walls were a deep brown color, complementing the chestnut bookshelves and making the bookstore seem very cozy. The shelves were completely full, yet it didn't seem untidy at all, as if they had all been painstakingly crammed into their place. 

Noctis was knocked out of his reverie by Prompto literally bumping into him from behind.  
"Hey dude, can you not… just stop in the door? I would like to see the bookstore too," came Prompto's muffled voice as he spoke into Noctis' jacket. 

"Ah, sorry." Noctis quickly moved more inwards, taking in the gold accented decor, the large window showcasing the snow outside like it was a movie scene. It was so enchanting. 

"Hey, Noct, they have a comics section we could look at! Or they have some interesting sci-fi stuff, if you want?" Prompto paused for a moment. "What _do_ you want?" he asked imploringly. 

Noctis shrugged; he didn't have the same enthusiasm for this as Prompto did. He was just looking forward to leaving.

Prompto sighed, as if expecting this sort of noncommitment, which, to be fair, was typical of Noctis after so many outings. “How about this? There’s a new sci-fi series that came out a few weeks ago, about some ancient warlord coming back to life...” Noctis tuned out Prompto’s words as he followed him to whatever shelf this apparently _spectacular_ series was. 

Prompto tugged at his arm. “Why don’t we go and ask one of the employees for some recommendations? I’m sure they’d have something you’d like!” Without waiting for an answer, Prompto pulled Noctis through the store, navigating through the shelves as though this was his hundredth time coming, not his first. They reached the help desk, and Noctis wanted to just go and look at the comic books because he didn’t want to make awkward conversation with some store employee who probably had a million better things to do.

That is, until he saw the employee’s face. 

The sharp, angular curves of the brunette’s face, the neat black dress shirt under a vest that would look ridiculous on literally any other person, yet this guy pulled off perfectly. Noctis had never seen anyone so... Captivating. 

“Hello, how may I help you today?” The accent from the man’s voice was so enchanting, and Noctis couldn’t even stutter out a single word in response. Thankfully, Prompto was still there to save his ass.

“Hi, I’m Prompto, and this is my friend, Noctis! We were wondering if you could give us some recommendations… um,” Prompto paused, unsure of the worker’s name.

“My name is Ignis, and of course I can give some recommendations. Now, you two look like you’d enjoy something with some action in it, and we recently got in this wonderful science fiction series about a futuristic warlord who…” Ignis kept talking, but Noctis zoned out, completely missing everything being said as he blindly followed Ignis and Prompto to whatever book was so important. Everything about Ignis was just so _perfect_. His jawline alone was giving Noctis a heart attack, forget about his accent and neat manner. 

_‘Gah, stop thinking like that. You remember how bad your last relationship went.’_

“Woah, that’s that book that I’ve been seeing all the time now, I’ve been wanting to read it!” Noctis snapped out of his reverie and looked up at Prompto’s excited face, seeing him hold some bright graphic novel that Noctis vaguely remembered seeing on some ad a few days ago.

“Alright, well, if that’s all you two were interested in, I can ring you up if you like?” Ignis suggested, heading towards the register. Prompto followed, well, promptly, but Noctis lingered, not wanting to seem dumb by not purchasing a book of his own.

“I, um, think I’ll look around for a minute or two more. You go on ahead,” he told Prompto, who seemed all too pleased that Noctis appeared to be enjoying this trip.

And yeah, maybe this trip to the bookstore wasn’t the worst trip that had been planned for him, but it was almost as if Ignis had made it so rather than the books itself.

Without even glancing at the title, he picked up a volume from the shelf nearest to him and walked towards the register. He could almost feel the book slipping from his hands, with how nervous and trembly he was.

Prompto seemed to be already done with his purchase, as he was now standing by the store’s entrance, waiting for Noctis while fiddling on his phone.

Noctis stepped up to the checkout counter, where Ignis patiently held out his hand for the book that Noctis had somehow idiotically forgot to hand over.

“Ah, sorry, here you go!” he fumbled, and he felt a surge of warmth go through him when Ignis’ hand brushed histo grab the book.

“Alright, that’ll be $10.95. Interesting choice,” Ignis commented, and only now did Noctis realize what book he had grabbed: _Important Things All Gardeners Miss._

“It’s, um, a new hobby,” he stammered out, hoping that Ignis wasn’t making fun of him. Noctis had absolutely no interest in gardening, but it was too awkward to go back and pick up another book. He inserted his credit card into the machine, willing it to go faster so that the awkward silence between the two could be ended.

Well, awkward for Noctis, not so much Ignis. Ignis seemed perfectly in his element as his eyes ran down the computer screen while waiting for Noctis’ credit card to finish scanning.

After all too long, the machine finally prompted Noctis to pull out the card, which he promptly did and stuffed into his wallet. Ignis then placed the book into a cute brown bag with the store’s logo.

“Thanks, you’re important,” Ignis said. He seemed to pause for a moment, slowly realizing his mistake, as Noctis blinked. 

Quickly, he stammered out, “Thanks you too,” before awkwardly turning around. God, that had been an awful first impression on a hot guy. _Not that it mattered he was hot, remember._ Despite knowing that Ignis’ words had just been an innocent mix up of whatever the standard gratuity was and the book’s title, the words still had some impact on him.

It had been a very long time since he had been told how much he meant to someone, and even if was just a mistake, it still meant a lot to Noctis.

“Oh hey, you’re done! We can go grab some lunch now, if you want,” Prompto said, as he tried and failed to subtly gauge Noctis’ interaction with Ignis.

“Yeah, sure, that’s cool,” Noctis said, distracted. For the first time that day, he wasn’t thinking about leaving the bookstore.

He was thinking about when he could go back.

\-- 

After that day in the bookstore however, things did not magically begin looking up. Noctis mostly spent his days moping around his apartment and playing King’s Knight. Occasionally, he and Prompto would hang out, but with Prompto’s job at the photography store, it was hard for him to come by all that often.

However, despite the dreary mood, Noctis still couldn’t help but think about that day in the bookstore. The brunette cashier with the small smile, his hair gracefully swept over his forehead… _Gah_ , Noctis needed to stop thinking about him. Plus, the guy probably didn’t remember him at all, since he was just another customer.

He had tried talking to Gladio about it a few times, but he always afraid of his response. Gladio didn’t have any problems with talking to people; he could start up a conversation with anyone. Not wanting to be laughed at about his problems, he decided against talking to the bodyguard about it.

No matter how much he tried to push thoughts of Ignis out of his head, he just couldn’t. _You’re important_ … even if had been a slip of the tongue, it had made Noctis feel for once that he was actually worth something. Not just the incompetent son of a rich CEO, but someone of significance and value. 

Prompto often told Noctis things like that, that he was a good friend, that he deserved to be happy, that he was never a waste of time. But every time Noctis saw Prompto’s face when he told him of his inner demons, he felt like punching himself. Because Prompto looked so _worried_ , concern flashing in his eyes, and he felt like such a burden. So, naturally, he stopped telling Prompto things, and slowly Prompto seemed to forget about Noctis’ feelings. For the most part, that is.

The words had never really had such an impact coming from Prompto. They always just seemed placating, something to keep him calm and his head above water. They were throwaway phrases to Noctis, despite whatever Prompto’s intentions had been. Yet, when the exact phrase came out of Ignis’ mouth, it just felt... different.

And so, a couple weeks after the initial bookstore visit, Noctis decided that he was going to revisit. After spending too much time making sure his hair didn’t stick out too awkwardly, and that his back brace wasn’t showing through his t-shirt, he started making his way towards the bookstore.

Unlike the first visit, the weather was, thankfully, more pleasant, with some minimal cloud coverage. There was a pleasant breeze as Noctis walked the few blocks to the bookstore; a major perk of living in the heart of the city meant most shops were nearby for his convenience.

Upon seeing the entryway of the bookstore, Noctis hesitated. Was he really doing this? Going up to a practical stranger and thanking him for raising his self-esteem? Well, apparently he didn’t have a choice because he noticed a certain brunette glance at him from inside the store.

With one last deep breath, he pushed open the door, inwardly smiling at the cute bell that signalled his entrance. He wasn’t really sure if he should grab a book and buy it for the sake of trying to be normal, or if he should just rip the metaphorical bandage off and go right up to Ignis.

Except today wasn’t the day where Noctis got to make decisions, apparently, as his mind directed his body towards the counter. As he approached, Ignis looked up from whatever he was working on, and perhaps it was a trick of the light, but Noctis thought there was a slight smile on his face.

“Um, hey? I don’t know if you remember me. I was here a couple of weeks ago…” He paused, unsure of how to continue. Thankfully, Ignis answered before he had the chance to screw up the conversation before it even began.

“Yes, I remember you. You checked out a book about gardening, if I remember correctly. How did it go for you?” Ignis said. At a cursory glance, he didn’t seem bothered that Noctis had come to talk to him. Maybe this would go better than he expected?

“Oh, um yeah, it’s, uh, going okay. Actually, I wanted to thank you.” 

At this, Ignis raised his eyebrows, though not condescendingly. He genuinely seemed to be thinking for a moment, before responding.

“Yes, well, what exactly are you thanking me for?” 

“You, um, said something when I was checking out, and it, umm, just really helped me out, I guess.” Now that Noctis was actually talking to Ignis, he couldn’t bring himself to say the words. He was hoping that Ignis would be able to fill in the blanks for himself, like he had before.

“I’m sorry to say that I don’t recall that exact conversation. Would you mind telling me what it is I said?” And there goes that hope. 

“I, well, you see... You said that I was important, and I guess it helped me a lot?” His voice started to rise slightly with nervousness, making it seem as though he was phrasing his statement as a question. 

“Oh, yes, now I remember.” Ignis said. “It was a slip of the tongue, but I am so glad that it helped you out.”

“Yeah, no one’s ever really said that to me before, even by mistake,” Noctis said, his voice so low he could barely hear himself. Or maybe it was the blood rushing to his cheeks that caused that.

At this, Ignis frowned ever so slightly. “Well, it is no mistake, I assure you. You most certainly are important,” Ignis said, his tone firm, leaving no room for argument. 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Noctis mumbled, even if he didn’t entirely agree with Ignis’ words

Rather than responding to this, Ignis decided to change tactics. “You know, I don’t I ever caught your name, would you mind reminding me of it?” 

Noctis paused for a moment, a little confused at the random change in conversation, but responded promptly. “My name’s Noctis.”

“Well then, Noctis, would you like to grab some coffee with me? I would love to get to know you better, and I was actually just about to get off my shift.” Ignis said, no hint of malice in his voice.

Noctis started; Ignis wanted to get to know _him?_ He was a nothing, he couldn’t fathom why Ignis would do it. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t know yet that Noctis isn’t anyone interesting. He didn’t want to let Ignis down with his personality, but at the same time, he didn’t want to reject his offer... “Um, sure. That sounds okay.”

At this, Ignis looked pleased. “Give me one moment to gather my things, and I’ll be right back.”

With that, Ignis went through an Employees Only door, while Noctis awkwardly stood around waiting for him. Fortunately, Ignis was true to his word, having only taken a minute to throw on a sweater over his work uniform.

“I know a nice little coffee shop a little ways from here, would you be amicable if I lead the way?” Ignis asked.

“Yeah, that’s alright.”

The two began towards the coffee shop, with Noctis slightly lagging behind Ignis. There wasn’t any conversation between them, but the silence was nice, as it gave Noctis a chance to think.

He honestly still had no clue why on Eos Ignis had asked him out for coffee. He wasn’t even sure on what sort of basis was this; were they going as strangers, as friends? A small voice in the back of his mind was telling him that he wanted it to be a date, but he quickly shut it up. 

Ignis paused in front of a cozy-looking coffee shop with a cute little table right out front, and the door having a cheerful welcome sign on it. They went inside, and Noctis followed as Ignis chose a small table by the cafe’s wall.

There were menus on the table, and Ignis picked one up and handed it to Noctis. “I come here often, so I know what I like. Choose whatever you want, my treat.”

“How about the Tenebrae Tarts, and an Americano,” Noctis said tentatively, after perusing the menu for a few moments.

After Ignis placed their orders, he folded his hands on the table in front of him, leaning forward slightly.

“So Noctis, tell me a little about yourself,” Ignis began, but he didn’t demand it, rather saying it in a manner that made it seem okay for Noctis to pass on answering.

“I mean, I’m not all that interesting. I’m starting college soon. And I like video games, I guess.” 

Ignis frowned again. Noctis noticed how much more serious Ignis looked when he wasn’t smiling, and he wasn’t sure that he liked it. 

“Well, what games do you play?” Ignis’s smile returned briefly as he thanked the waitress, who had just brought them their desserts, but dissipated quickly after.

“I don’t know, dumb stuff. Stuff like King’s Knight,” Noctis said. He took a small bite of his start, and his mouth burst full of flavor. He smiled at the taste.

“Well, that’s hardly dumb. I also happen to enjoy King’s Knight. Remind me, I’ll add you as a friend later.” Ignis said, and Noctis watched as he took a bite out of the cake he had ordered. If his dessert was anywhere near as good as his, Noctis was impressed at how well Ignis was keeping his composure at the marvelous taste.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you,” Noctis immediately apologized. Gods, why did he have to make fun of the game? Now he had insulted Ignis and made a fool of himself.

“Noctis, you didn’t offend me. And stop apologizing, you didn’t do anything wrong in the first place,” Ignis said, putting his fork down. “Now, there was an ulterior reason I invited you here.”

Oh Gods, here it was. Ignis was going to get mad at him for bothering him at work, wasn’t he? Or maybe he was made because Noctis had not only bothered him, but about something irrelevant, too. Or maybe it was because Noctis hadn’t dressed up like Ignis had. Or maybe it was because his chocobo beanie was too brash for Ignis’ tastes. Or maybe he had‒- 

“Noctis! You need to stop thinking for a moment, please,” Ignis’ sudden exclamation snapped him out of his reverie.

“Oh, sorry,” Noctis said instinctively.

“Again with the apologizing. It’s alright, I am not mad. You just seemed to be getting lost in your own mind, and I thought it necessary to rescue you, in a sense. Now, the reason I wanted to talk to you was because—well, I am concerned about you.”

Now _that_ was not what Noctis had been expecting. Like, at all. “I don’t think I understand. What do you mean, concerned?” Suddenly, that delicious tart was sitting heavily in his stomach.

“It’s just that you don’t seem to understand the value you have.”

“What are you talking about?” At this point, Noctis was going to puke. “I’m not some sort of priceless diamond.”

“Even so, you are someone who is worth something, and you don’t seem to realize that. Your friend the other day—I believe his name was Prompto—mentioned that coming to bookstore was just one of his many attempts to make you smile. Yet, to me, it seems as though you don’t understand your own importance.” Ignis said, with a tone that suggested no room for argument. 

Yet here Noctis was, arguing. “Well, I don’t really know why Prompto is so concerned about me. There’s no point.”

“But there is a point! Don’t you see? You mean something to others. You have to understand that.” And while Ignis’ face remained relatively calm, there was a hint of something akin to desperation. 

Noctis wanted to make an argument for himself, wanted to say that he knew all that. But he couldn't because he _didn’t_ know that. “I mean nothing to people. I’m disposable. I don’t exactly have loved ones waiting around for me.” 

He knew he was one of Prompto’s friends, but honestly, sometimes he felt that Prompto got along better with Gladio more than him anyway. They ran together all the time and have a lot of common interests, way more than he has with Prompto.

“Noctis, that is not true.”

“Pfft, prove it.” Noctis knew that Ignis wouldn’t be able to say anything.

But rather than floundering, Ignis seemed that much more confident in his reply. “When I first talked to you, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. You seemed so interesting, but I never even caught your name. So when you came in today, I was so excited to talk to you. Noctis, you mean something to me. Can you _please_ believe that?” This time, there was no hiding it, the desperation and worry in his voice was obvious.

“I don’t... I don’t know if I can,” Noctis mumbled. He wasn’t even sure what to say.

“That’s okay, I’m okay with that. But can you at least try?” Ignis implored, his voice now soothing.

“I... I can try, if you want me to try,” Noctis said, his eyes downcast.

“That’s all I ask, is that you try.”

And as the two left the coffee shop and exchanged King’s Knight ID pins, for the first time in a long while, Noctis felt _important._

**Author's Note:**

> Special shoutout to Emily for being my beta, and for basically making this fic readable!
> 
> \---  
> Requests are open! Feel free to request anything that is from this fandom, BTS, WayV, or Day6, or any other fandom that I have written for! You can ask here on my [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.qa/activelyweird) or on my Tumblr/Twitter!
> 
> [My Tumblr](https://activelyweird.tumblr.com)  
> [My Twitter](https://twitter.com/activelyweird)  
> Feel free to talk to me on any of these


End file.
